The Cruisers

We have been 'cruising' for about 18 months now and have had the pleasure of meeting many people traveling and living on their boats. It is interesting to meet people from all over the world, hear their stories and share information about the places we have been or the places we are going to. And although it is a relatively small population of the world that are living on the water, I have found you can group them into categories. This isn't a scientific exercise by any means, just some general observations,

Categories

The Young Adventurers
Typically mid 20's to early 30's the people in this group don't yet have children and have earned just enough money to buy a boat (usually quite small) and plan to sail around the world in 2 years or less or until the money runs out. Lured by the adventures of the sea they have willingly left the securities of home and job. High energy, quick to get to shore at the destination and explore all things possible before shoving off to the next port.

The Families
My guess is these are people who thought of sailing around the world in their early twenties and somehow didn't get started or waited till they had a little more money to buy the boat they wanted. By then they have had a couple of kids but decided the time was now or never. Equipped with all you need for homeschooling they set off to explore the world. I have to say, they are quite admirable as a boat can be a small space for young ones with a lot of energy to burn.

The Early Retirees
This is the group that Jens and I fall into. Not quite old enough to collect a pension cheque every month but decided the monthly pay cheque just isn't as important as living ones dream while still young and healthy enough to fully enjoy it. These are couples who have either been together for a long time or are newly married. I am what I have come to realize, the "sailor wife". Typically the first wife probably wasn't interested in the idea of living on a sail boat so when wife number two should come along, make certain that sailing the world is discussed early and often as you develop the relationship. Otherwise, you might find yourself in the category of Single Handers.

The Single Handers
Middle aged men who didn't find a sailing wife or are just too ornery to share a small space with a mate and decided to go it alone. Watch out for these guys as they spend a lot of time in their own company so when they do find other people, it is near impossible to get them to stop talking.

The Die Aboards
Having sold everything to buy the boat of their dreams, this group's biggest concern is with the cost of living going forward and the main purpose of cruising has turned into finding paradise for a penny including all the beer you can drink. They usually end up at an anchorage somewhere off the coast of a small town where groceries and entertainment are cheap. The boat quickly becomes a fixture in the bay, green bottomed and dull from lack of polish and regular maintenance and they themselves quickly become fixtures at the local watering hole. The residents of these boats are easy to spot having long given up professional haircuts and forgotten the fine art of a regular shave. Their clothes are faded and worn and their footwear is a pair of razor thin flip flops. They probably had intended to cruise around the world at one point but discovered the cost was going to exceed their means as boat maintenance and repairs can be quite steep and marina fees can quickly erode a good part of your monthly budget.

What we all have in common:
We love cheap stuff, particularly good prices on food and wine. To the point that even the biggest wine snobs soon tout the virtues of wine in a box. It's important to stretch our budget as far as possible because the fact of the matter is sailboats do need constant care and maintenance. And things for boats are always incredibly expensive. And you can't find them everywhere so add to that the cost of shipping.

We have lots of stories to tell, and stories of things gone wrong are the most popular. The men talk about engines and sails and rudders and bilges and whatever, while us girls talk about how to bake bread and cakes in that incredibly small oven, where to buy the best souvenirs in town and where we should go for dinner.

Best of all, cruisers are quick to make friends and invitations to a sundowner evening is a regular occurrence. After spending so many days at sea, even if it is with your soul mate, we still look forward to some fresh company now and again.